The Underrated 2000s Horror That Was Praised By Mike Flanagan AND Stephen King
Mike Flanagan might be scaring us with his work, but what horror does he like? This Bill Paxton movie has a special place in his heart. Here's what we know.
Seeing which movies our favorite directors geek out over never gets old. When it comes to Mike Flanagan (the director of The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, Oculus, and many more) we are dying to know what horror movies he likes.
Luckily: we can easily figure it out by looking at his Letterboxd list. But there is one movie that is quite special to him: Frailty.
‘Frailty’ (2001): The Underrated Gem Flanagan Praised
Duration: 100 minutes.
The story follows a father (played by Paxton) who believes that God has chosen him to kill demons posing as humans. He recruits his two young sons to help him with this disturbing mission.
“I've always liked this movie. Bill Paxton's directorial debut is one of those hidden gems of the early 2000s horror scene. It's a little bumpy and rough around the edges, it isn't going to change the world, but the story is interesting, the performances are great, and it highlights Paxton's strengths both in front and behind the camera. I've got a bit of a soft spot for it,” Flanagan wrote about the movie on Letterboxd.
Fun fact: Stephen King loved the movie as well, saying:
“I’ve never seen a movie quite like Frailty. It’s unique, thought-provoking, edge-of-the-seat entertainment.” (via The Frida Cinema)
Do Others Agree With Flanagan on ‘Frailty’?
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On Rotten Tomatoes, Frailty has 75% from critics and 79% from the audience.
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On IMDb, Frailty is rated 7.2/10.
“Paxton's first movie as director is better than you might expect. It has a first rate cast, and Bill Butler's camerawork and some deft editing help to crank up the tension. Some scenes are a little primitive in execution, but that's sometimes a benefit in this kind of American Gothic,” Time Out wrote.
“Whilst the concept of this film is very dark, the young children help to portray the idea through brilliant acting. This really is a spine tingly movie and it is guaranteed to have you at the edge of your seat throughout,” jameslamont on IMDb shared.
Where to Watch ‘Frailty’ for Free?
Frailty is available for free on Plex.
